The Voice of Cities and Regions in the UNFCCC Climate Process

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We understand time is your most precious, non-renewable resource. For that, the LGMA is offering monthly webinars and monthly bulletins to prepare our constituency for engaging in the global advocacy agenda throughout the year and in the leadup to COP28.

Every month, ICLEI’s Director of Global Advocacy Yunus Arikan, will be highlighting developments and key topics from the global climate arena to orients local and regional governments on the important issues of multilevel governance and progress in the global climate negotiations.

If you wish to attend the webinars, select the time option below that best fit you. If you wish to subscribe to the bulletin, click here (if your email is already in our database because engaged with the LGMA in the past, you’ll be asked to simply update your preferences).

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The LGMA at COP27 showing #MultilevelActionDelivers!

We have mobilized a delegation of 500 — including more than 150 mayors, councillors, governors and other local leaders — to bring the voice of subnational governments to the “Implementation COP” in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from 7 – 18 November 2022.

Our four-point advocacy agenda for COP27—enhanced NDCs through multilevel action, addressing unfinished business, welcoming the first Climate & Urbanization Ministerial, and empowering Africa and MENA Region—invited recognition from across all levels of government that our world is in a climate emergency road and a new era for the Paris Agreement relies on multilevel action to reach success.

Multilevel Action Pavilion at COP27

The home of cities and regions at COP27 was digital and in-person.

As Sharm El-Sheikh prepared for the “Implementation COP”, the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency was getting ready to host the Multilevel Action Pavilion, an online and in-person pavilion in the COP27 Blue Zone where the national discussions and decisions were made locally relevant under the motto #MultilevelActionDelivers.

With continuous support from the Scottish Government and in collaboration with the COP27 Presidency, the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, the Marrakech Partnership and LGMA Partners, the Multilevel Action Pavilion provided a home in the Blue Zone for local and regional governments throughout the two weeks of COP27 through 70+ sessions organized by 25+ partners.

Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation (SURGe) Initiative

It’s clear that we need effective multi-level governance to transform cities. To achieve this vision, the COP27 Presidency has launched the SURGe Initiative with the objective to enhance and accelerate local and urban climate action through multi-level governance, engagement, and delivery through five integrated tracks, contributing to achieving the Paris Climate Goals and Sustainable Development Goals.

The SURGe Initiative is developed in collaboration with UN-Habitat and facilitated by ICLEI and has been endorsed by 70+ global partners.

From Glasgow to Sharm El Sheikh: The Road to COP27

How We Work

The LGMA has served as the voice of cities and regions in global processes since were designated an official United Nations constituency group at the 1992 UN Earth Summit. We advocated for local governments at the first climate COP in 1995 and continue to achieve advocacy success for multilevel action across the climate, nature, and desertification agendas. Learn about our advocacy channels and get involved!

Advocacy Outcomes

COP26: Outcomes from Glasgow 2021

During the Glasgow conference, all parties were focused on keeping the 1.5°C target alive through raising NDCs’ ambition. These are the specific references to the role of subnationals, including cities, towns and regions, in the outcomes of COP26.

COP24: 2018 Katowice enshrines Talanoa Dialogues

COP24 in Katowice invited Parties to consider the outcome, inputs and outputs of the Talanoa Dialogue in preparing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and in their efforts to enhance pre-2020 implementation and ambition.

COP25: Outcomes of Madrid 2019

During the Chilean COP held in Madrid, the focus was on building up the ambition for revised NDCs in 2020 (now 2021). Local governments showed their aligned actions and commitments to advance towards this important deadline.

COP23: Talanoa Dialogues of 2017

Cities and Regions Talanoa Dialogues were developed as a bottom-up, pro-active and immediate response to the COP23 decision in 2017 to convene year-long, inclusive Talanoa Dialogues.

COP21: Paris Agreement recognizes the role of cities in 2015

The Paris Agreement, in its preamble, recognized the importance of the engagement of all levels of government. The fact that 185 Parties out of 197 Parties to the UNFCCC ratified the Paris Agreement established a strong indication of the momentum towards strengthening multilevel governance on climate action.

LGMA advocates in action

  • "Oslo is the electric vehicle capital of the world and that has been made possible with the close cooperation of the national government so that it is cheaper to buy electric/hybrid vehicles and at the local level it is made easier to use. Planning for the city needs to involve the citizens of the city actively – which also helps raise awareness of the challenges being faced. For plans to be implemented they should be concrete and measurable." Watch the entire Climate Studio interview.

    Mr. Raymond Johansen, Governing Mayor of Oslo, Norway
    Mr. Raymond Johansen, Governing Mayor of Oslo, Norway
  • "Cities are taking on the standards of the Paris agreements in order to be able to meet them ourselves... We want a just transition, and the social impacts that occur during a quick transition can't effect those who need the most help." Watch the entire Climate Studio interview.

    Mr. William Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, USA
    Mr. William Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, USA
  • "Collaboration among local goverments can push national governments forward towards de-carbonized societies." Watch the entire Climate Studio interview.

    Ms. Eri Nakajima, Vice Governor of Nagano Prefecture, Japan
    Ms. Eri Nakajima, Vice Governor of Nagano Prefecture, Japan
  • "In every council we do, we make sure that every sector is well represented: youth, academia, religion, persons with disabilities, elderly, urban poor... because lacking one sector would make our action slower." Watch the entire Climate Studio interview.

    Ms. Stephany Uy Tan, Councillor of City of Catbalogan, Philipinnes
    Ms. Stephany Uy Tan, Councillor of City of Catbalogan, Philipinnes
  • "I think it is necessary for everyone to recognize that we are in a climate emergency, and I am not afraid to use the expression climate emergency." Watch the entire Climate Studio interview.

    Mr. Geraldo Julio de Mello Filho, Mayor of Municipality of Recife, Federative Republic of Brazil
    Mr. Geraldo Julio de Mello Filho, Mayor of Municipality of Recife, Federative Republic of Brazil
  • "No city or region in the world is immune to disasters anymore... The impacts are different, but the solutions should be collaboratively developed." Watch the entire Climate Studio interview.

    Mr. Yunus Arikan, Head of ICLEI Global Policy and Advocacy
    Mr. Yunus Arikan, Head of ICLEI Global Policy and Advocacy

Cities and Regions Talanoa Dialogues at COP24

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